August in Salt Lake City/National Parks?
Apr 21st, 2004, 12:05 PM
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August in Salt Lake City/National Parks?
We plan to attend an Aug. 8 wedding in SLC and wonder if we should plan to take a week to explore the area. Can one take in some parks, say Bryce and Zion, using SLC as a base? Is the weather too hot for that in August? How would you suggest dividing up the time and where should we stay in the parks? Thanks very much.
Apr 21st, 2004, 07:33 PM
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SLC would not be a good base to visit Bryce and Zions. In August Zions will be uncomfortable hot, Bryce more tolerable. Utahtea has posted great info about where to stay in these areas. Just put her name in the search box.
If you decide not to head to Southern Utah, then you could spend some time exploring the mountains near Salt Lake. Park City is always fun in August and the temperature will be much more pleasant. If you search Park City you'll get some great ideas. I'm happy to answer any more specific questions.
If you decide not to head to Southern Utah, then you could spend some time exploring the mountains near Salt Lake. Park City is always fun in August and the temperature will be much more pleasant. If you search Park City you'll get some great ideas. I'm happy to answer any more specific questions.
Apr 21st, 2004, 09:02 PM
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Salt Lake City can be a great jumping off location, but I wouldn't use it as a base where you came back each night...it's just to far away from the National Parks.
A little circle spending 4 or 6 nights on the road would work great. There are also a lot of options.
Zion, Bryce, Hwy 12, Capitol Reef circle would be 720 miles. If it were me, I would spend at least 2 nights in Zion, 1 night in Bryce and 1 night in Torrey. If you have a couple more nights you could add 200 miles and make it down to the N. Rim of the Grand Canyon after Zion or just more time in Zion and Bryce.
It's not only going to be hot in the parks, but it will be hot in SLC too! We've been there with 105 degree weather there! We were at the S. Rim, Bryce, and Zion last August. Zion was in the low 100 degrees each day, but it just didn't feel that hot to us and I don't like HOT!
There are other options too, like going to Moab, Utah and spending a week there exploring Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse State Park and the surrounding areas. This round trip would be about 500 miles.
Utahtea
A little circle spending 4 or 6 nights on the road would work great. There are also a lot of options.
Zion, Bryce, Hwy 12, Capitol Reef circle would be 720 miles. If it were me, I would spend at least 2 nights in Zion, 1 night in Bryce and 1 night in Torrey. If you have a couple more nights you could add 200 miles and make it down to the N. Rim of the Grand Canyon after Zion or just more time in Zion and Bryce.
It's not only going to be hot in the parks, but it will be hot in SLC too! We've been there with 105 degree weather there! We were at the S. Rim, Bryce, and Zion last August. Zion was in the low 100 degrees each day, but it just didn't feel that hot to us and I don't like HOT!
There are other options too, like going to Moab, Utah and spending a week there exploring Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park and Dead Horse State Park and the surrounding areas. This round trip would be about 500 miles.
Utahtea
Apr 22nd, 2004, 10:42 AM
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X,
Here's another suggestion. Save the spectacular southern Utah parks for a spring or fall trip.
For August, go north to Jackson, the Tetons, and Yellowstone. It's the same drive time (in hours)as going to southern Utah.
August is busy season for Wyoming, but sky-high gas prices may thin out the visitors this year. Check right away for lodging and do a search here for tons of info on the area.
You can also spend a couple nights in Park City if you want. It's on the way!
Have fun!
Here's another suggestion. Save the spectacular southern Utah parks for a spring or fall trip.
For August, go north to Jackson, the Tetons, and Yellowstone. It's the same drive time (in hours)as going to southern Utah.
August is busy season for Wyoming, but sky-high gas prices may thin out the visitors this year. Check right away for lodging and do a search here for tons of info on the area.
You can also spend a couple nights in Park City if you want. It's on the way!
Have fun!
Apr 22nd, 2004, 04:55 PM
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Are you saying use Salt Lake City as a base from which to drive to Bryce and or Zion and return in one day? Yes, you could, but it would be a long, hard day because the driving time is close to 5 hours one way even with minimal stopping.
(My wife once drove from Bryce Canyon to the LDS Hospital in SLC under emergency conditions. She says the trip took her just over 4 hours, 15 minutes. Needless to say she was driving with a sense of urgency and stopped only once.)
Any of those parks, Yellowstone included, can be hot in August. But your chances of cooler weather are better at Yellowstone than at Zion where the temperature can be more than 102?F.
Bryce Canyon is usually much cooler because it is some 4,000 feet higher than Zion, and at night the cooler air seems to take over. Bryce in fact at the south end of the drive reaches a road elevation of more than 9,000 feet.
If you want to spend the night at Zion, then, assuming you have an air conditioned car, you could drive Utah state route 12 to Torrey and look at Capitol Reef before continuing. Utah 12 is one of the lesser known gems of Utah, although Utah Tea and I are doing a good job of promoting it. (I own no stock in any business along the way.) The route crosses a massive outcropping of the gleaming white Navajo Sandstone, which is the cliff builder formation par excellence. It outcrops also at Zion and Capitol Reef. Along Utah Route 12 it is the surface formation which at times gives way to deep canyons and beautiful white vistas dotted with small trees.
I am in love with Capitol Reef because of its highly unusual geologic features. Some of the most colorful rocks in the west are exposed close at hand in Capitol Reef. Geologically, they are the Chinle and the Moenkopi Formations. The Chinle has tones of deep red that turn almost black in the twilight.
If you are looking for places to stay I can recommend two places, one at Bryce and one near Capitol Reef in Torrey. Bryce Canyon Pines Motel is a sort distance outside the entrance to Bryce Canyon. It has nice rooms and a friendly staff. In Torrey, Austin's Chuckwagon Motel is nice. In fact, if you want a base, the cabins at Austins are very nice and spacious. You could drive to Bryce and back from Torrey in one day. Although you would retrace your steps, I can assure you that the landscape is so fascinating that it will appeal to you both ways -- at least it does to me.
I think you can adjust your schedule to be out of the heat during the middle of the day. Remember that temperatues drop toward evening, particularly at Bryce. And a sunset from the rim at Bryce is beautiful.
(My wife once drove from Bryce Canyon to the LDS Hospital in SLC under emergency conditions. She says the trip took her just over 4 hours, 15 minutes. Needless to say she was driving with a sense of urgency and stopped only once.)
Any of those parks, Yellowstone included, can be hot in August. But your chances of cooler weather are better at Yellowstone than at Zion where the temperature can be more than 102?F.
Bryce Canyon is usually much cooler because it is some 4,000 feet higher than Zion, and at night the cooler air seems to take over. Bryce in fact at the south end of the drive reaches a road elevation of more than 9,000 feet.
If you want to spend the night at Zion, then, assuming you have an air conditioned car, you could drive Utah state route 12 to Torrey and look at Capitol Reef before continuing. Utah 12 is one of the lesser known gems of Utah, although Utah Tea and I are doing a good job of promoting it. (I own no stock in any business along the way.) The route crosses a massive outcropping of the gleaming white Navajo Sandstone, which is the cliff builder formation par excellence. It outcrops also at Zion and Capitol Reef. Along Utah Route 12 it is the surface formation which at times gives way to deep canyons and beautiful white vistas dotted with small trees.
I am in love with Capitol Reef because of its highly unusual geologic features. Some of the most colorful rocks in the west are exposed close at hand in Capitol Reef. Geologically, they are the Chinle and the Moenkopi Formations. The Chinle has tones of deep red that turn almost black in the twilight.
If you are looking for places to stay I can recommend two places, one at Bryce and one near Capitol Reef in Torrey. Bryce Canyon Pines Motel is a sort distance outside the entrance to Bryce Canyon. It has nice rooms and a friendly staff. In Torrey, Austin's Chuckwagon Motel is nice. In fact, if you want a base, the cabins at Austins are very nice and spacious. You could drive to Bryce and back from Torrey in one day. Although you would retrace your steps, I can assure you that the landscape is so fascinating that it will appeal to you both ways -- at least it does to me.
I think you can adjust your schedule to be out of the heat during the middle of the day. Remember that temperatues drop toward evening, particularly at Bryce. And a sunset from the rim at Bryce is beautiful.
